Thai police had been raiding the street where the freelancers work recently. They fine the girls 100 baht the first time they arrest them and then 500 baht the second time. I was told the reason they arrest the girls was because the bar owners did not like the fact the girls were undercutting their business (the women/men on the street go with customers at a lower rate than the women/men in the bars). Police receive bribes from the bars then arrest the girls so the bars will be able to make a larger profit. The raids also included prearranged news coverage which creates the PR illusion that the police are not corrupt and doing their duty.